1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mat for hot compress and acupressure mounted with a new type hyperthermo-radiative apparatus, and more particularly, a mat for hot compress and acupressure mounted with a roller type hyperthermo-radiative apparatus designed to minimize friction resistance of the apparatus upon horizontal movement thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention relates to improvements on the invention disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 1999-26985 entitled xe2x80x9ca treatment matxe2x80x9d (which was filed on Jan. 14, 2000 in U.S.A. and issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,609 on Jun. 5, 2001).
FIG. 1A shows the conventional mat for hot compress and acupressure, and FIG. 1B shows a sectional view of the conventional hyperthermo-radiative apparatus. As shown well in FIG. 1A, the conventional mat for hot compress and acupressure comprises a backing plate 50 formed on a lower side corresponding to a longitudinal groove at the center thereof, rails 51 installed on the left and right sides of the backing plate 50, a hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 moving horizontally along the rails 51, a horizontal moving means for causing the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 to move horizontally, a control panel 58 for controlling the horizontal moving means, and an operating unit 59 for controlling the position of the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60. Further, the horizontal moving means includes a motor 55 installed on one side of the mat for hot compress and acupressure, a pulley 54 connected directly with the motor 55, and a rope 52 for transmitting driving force from the motor 55 to the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 through the pulley 54. Here, the mat for hot compress and acupressure is covered with a mat cloth (not shown) that can sufficiently cover the longitudinal groove located at the center of the mat. Thus, the external appearance of the mat can be protected and the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 can be prevented from coming into direct contact with a vertebral region of a user.
Furthermore, the conventional hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 that has been used in the mat for hot compress and acupressure is schematically shown in FIG. 1B. That is, the conventional hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 comprises a supporting stand 61 fixed to a supporting plate 56 for supporting the entire portion of the apparatus, a lamp 62 installed on the supporting stand 61, and a cap 65 for transferring heat generated from the lamp 62 and protecting the lamp 62. Here, the cap 65 is constructed in such a manner that an upper portion thereof is hemispherical, a central portion thereof is hollow cylindrical, and a lower portion thereof is provided with an outwardly flared flange 66. The upper portion of the cap is formed with a plurality of small holes 67 to emit the heat.
Therefore, when a user who wishes to obtain the effects of the hot compress and acupressure intends to utilize the conventional mat for hot compress and acupressure constructed as such, the user first lies down on the mat and presses down a button on the operating unit 59. Then, the motor 55 is actuated during a time when the button continues to be pressed down. Thereafter, the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 is pulled through the pulleys 53, 54 and the rope 52, and is conveyed horizontally on the rails 51 in a longitudinal direction. When the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 is completely moved to one side of the rails 51, a reverse switch (not shown) installed on a distal end of the rails 51 causes the flow direction of current applied to the motor 55 to be changed in the opposite flow direction. Thus, the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 comes to stop temporarily, changes its direction of movement, and then moves again in the opposite direction. That is, at least while the user presses down the button on the operating unit 59, the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 advances completely in one direction and then in the opposite direction again. During the horizontal movement, the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 emits the heat from the lamp 62 installed therein, and the heat reaches the vertebral region of the user through the small holes 67. Consequently, a hot compress effect can be obtained. At the same time, while the hemispherical cap 65 located at an uppermost end of the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 moves along the rails 51 in a straight line, the vertebral region of the user lying down on the mat is caused to get acupressure in the straight line.
However, in case of the conventional mat for hot compress and acupressure, while the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 is moved, the cap 65 should be moved in a state where it is pressed down by the vertebral region of the user lying down on the mat for hot compress and acupressure. Thus, friction force is generated in the mat cloth (not shown) positioned between the user and the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus, and causes the protective cloth to be easily damaged. In addition, the user feels a pain on his/her vertebral region due to the friction force. Further, it was difficult to manufacture the conventional hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 since the protective cap 65 thereof should be machined in the form of the hemisphere. The difficulty in manufacturing the apparatus was aggravated since the cap was made thinner in order to accomplish more rapid heat transfer.
Furthermore, the conventional mat for hot compress and acupressure has required more power in moving the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 due to friction resistance between the user and the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60. Consequently, the large motor for generating high driving force was used, and thus, consumption of unnecessary electric power was incurred. In addition, when the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 is moved in the conventional mat for hot compress and acupressure, excessive load is produced due to the friction resistance. If the load cannot be overcome, the rope 52 slips onto the pulley 53. Thus, there was a problem in that the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 cannot be normally moved.
Moreover, since the rails 51 are installed in the form of the straight line within the conventional mat for hot compress and acupressure, the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 cannot come into smooth contact with curved portions near the nape of the neck and vertebrae of the user. Thus, the effects thereof cannot be fully obtained. In addition, since the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus 60 performs the hot compress treatment only for the vertebral region where the apparatus 60 passes, the other portion except the vertebral region cannot be subjected to the far infrared treatment. Thus, there was a disadvantage in that overall effects thereof were lowered.
Therefore, the present invention is conceived to solve the aforementioned problems in the prior art and is directed to a mat for hot compress and acupressure mounted essentially with a new type hyperthermo-radiative apparatus for use in hyperthermo-radiatitive effect.
An object of the present invention is to provide a mat for hot compress and acupressure wherein a roller type hyperthermo-radiative apparatus, which can minimize friction force generated when the apparatus moves horizontally within a central portion of the mat for hot compress and acupressure, is essentially employed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mat for hot compress and acupressure wherein the effects of the hot compress and acupressure imposed on a user can be enhanced by employing a roller type hyperthermo-radiative apparatus and simultaneously forming curved portions onto conveying rails corresponding to curved regions of the user.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a mat for hot compress and acupressure wherein more efficient effects of the hot compress and acupressure on a user can be obtained by employing a roller type hyperthermo-radiative apparatus and simultaneously improving a conveying means for moving the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a mat for hot compress and acupressure wherein the effects of the hot compress and acupressure on a user can be further enhanced by employing a roller type hyperthermo-radiative apparatus and simultaneously utilizing an additional far infrared heating means for transferring the far infrared radiation to a user""s region to be treated regardless of moving positions of the apparatus.
According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the objects, there is provided a mat for hot compress and acupressure, comprising a mat member foldable at one side thereof and with a longitudinal groove formed in the center thereof, curved rails formed at both sides of the central groove on the bottom of the mat member and with curved portions corresponding to the curvature of the vertebral region of a user; a roller type hyperthermo-radiative apparatus traveling along the curved rails; a conveying means for moving the roller type hyperthermo-radiative apparatus in a horizontal direction; a control panel for controlling the conveying means; and an operating unit for adjusting a position of the roller type hyperthermo-radiative apparatus.
According to the present invention, it is preferred that the roller type hyperthermo-radiative apparatus includes a backing plate with wheels fixedly supported at four comers thereof; a plurality of pairs of supporting means mounted on the backing plate; roller type rotating members rotatably installed between respective pairs of the supporting means and with cylindrical empty spaces formed therein; heating members inserted into the empty spaces of the rotating members from both ends of the spaces; socket portions connected to the heating members for supplying external electric power; and bearing members for fixedly supporting the socket portions to the supporting means and for rotatably coupling the rotating members thereto.
Further, according to the present invention, the mat for hot compress and acupressure can be compactly manufactured and noise generated therefrom can also be reduced, by improving the conveying means for moving the hyperthermo-radiative apparatus.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, a hot compress effect can be exerted on lateral vertebral regions, arm regions and lower parts of the user""s body since the far infrared heating means for emitting the far infrared radiation are disposed at both sides of the groove in the mat member and below the other mat member.